Tasty Tubers

Raised in the land where they are famously "Famous", I've always considered myself especially qualified to judge potatoes. Here are four of the best.

Mrs. Mitch's Fluffy & Whipped
Fluffy and dense all at the same time.

Serves 6

3 pounds white rose potatoes (You could use Russet or Yukon Gold but white rose is the best)
1 stick unsalted butter
½ cup-1 cup half and half (I usually use ¾ cup but it is really how creamy you like it)
½ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Peel potatoes and quarter them. Boil for approximately 20 minutes or until cooked throughout. At same time, melt 1 stick unsalted butter and half and half in a small saucepan on low. Drain potatoes and put in mixing bowl. I use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment but you could use a hand mixer as well. Put potatoes, sour cream and salt and pepper and start mixing. While mixing slowing pour butter/half and half mixture in mixing bowl until all butter mixture is incorporated. Add additional salt and pepper as needed.

Fred's Crispy & Roasted
Quick and easy dinner with crispy goodness, and bonus easy clean-up. From The Best American Classics cookbook, which is also recommended for tasty recipes and interesting reading.

Serves 4

1 whole kosher chicken, 3 1/2 - 4 pounds, giblets removed, fat around cavity discarded
2 1/2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes (Fred doesn't peel, you could if you wanted)
1 1/2 T olive oil
Salt & pepper

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 500 degrees. Line the bottom of a broiler pan with foil and spray with nonstick vegetable cooking spray.

Toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Spread the potatoes in an even layer in the foil-lined broiler pan bottom.

Wash, dry, and butterfly the chicken and position on the broiler rack pan. Place the broiler pan rack with the chicken on the top. Rub the chicken with the remaining oil and sprinkle with pepper to taste.

Roast the chicken until spotty brown, about 20 minutes. Rotate the pan and continue to roast until the skin has crisped and turned a deep brown and the meat registers 160 degrees in the thickest part of the breast, 20 to 25 minutes longer.

Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. With potholders, remove the broiler pan rack; soak up excess grease from the potatoes with several sheets of paper towels. Remove the foil liner with the potatoes from the broiler pan bottom and invert the foil and potatoes onto a baking sheet or second cutting board. Carefully peel back the foil, using a metal spatula to help scrape the potatoes of the foil as needed. With additional paper towels, pat off the remaining grease. Cut the chicken into serving pieces and serve with potatoes.

Oosje's Stuffed Baked
A long-time favorite, actually from Brennan's in New Orleans

Serves 2

2 large Idaho potatoes, scrubbed
4 strips bacon, quartered
1/2 cup chopped green onion
2 T grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper

Preheat oven to 400 and bake potatoes til soft, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Then reduce oven to 350 degrees.

While potato is cooling slightly to make handling easier, grill bacon pieces in a skillet until crisp. Drain off excess drippings leaving 3 tablespoons in skillet. Add onion and saute slowly. Remove skillet from heat.

Cut shallow lengthwise slice from each potato and carefully spoon out inside; add to skillet. Add cheese, cream and seasonings, mixing and mashing to blend thoroughly. Return skillet to low heat and heat through.

Stuff mixture into potatoes, drizzle with butter and dash with paprika.

Bake at 35o degrees for 15 to 20 minutes.

Oosje's Warm Reds
A light, grown-up potato salad for a real dinner or brunch, mostly because it seemed like there should be one that your doctor/Boot Camp instructor would be OK with.

Serves 4 as a side dish

1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
1/2 cup plus 2 T olive oil
3 T white wine vinegar
2 T white wine
3 T minced onion
2 T minced parsley
1 chive, minced
Salt to taste

Boil and dice potatoes.

Whisk together 1/2 cup of olive oil, vinegar, wine, onion, salt. Mix with warm potatoes. Let set 20 - 3o minutes.

Toss with 2 T olive oil, parsley & chives just before serving.